Opinion

In the newsroom we have a counter where people put doughnuts and cookies for everyone to share.

Today someone set out a container of humungous cookies. Each cookie is 480 calories with 23 grams of fat. For those keeping score, one cookie is 12 Weight Watchers points, which is more than half my daily allotment.

Thirty-six fewer deaths were reported regarding highway fatalities in Kentucky for the calendar year 2008. While safety advocates were excited about this year-end report, the stark reality overshadowed the celebration when the overall numbers were examined. Although it was one of the safest years in a decade, sadly 828 people lost their lives on Kentucky’s roadways last year.

Statistics show that 64 percent of those killed were not wearing a seat belt.

The City of Cynthiana is facing a myriad of problems, both large and small. Some of these difficulties are unique to our city, but most are being universally faced throughout the United States. Aging infrastructures, reduced revenues, and increased costs are the defining terms of our cities today. There is not going to be a quick cure.

With the budget now law, the biggest task facing the General Assembly this legislative session is preparing a road plan for the remainder of this fiscal year and the next, which ends in June 2010.

After talking with legislators about their priorities, House and Senate leaders met with Transportation Cabinet officials for hours during the last several weeks to hammer out a plan. On Friday, the House voted overwhelmingly for this compromise proposal, which the Senate is expected to approve this week.

A study by the American Energy Alliance estimates that, over a thirty-year period, businesses could create 1.2 million new jobs, generate $2.2 trillion in total tax receipts and add $8 trillion to our economy by permanently lifting the ban on offshore production in the Outer Continental Shelf. When the price of oil goes back up (as it undoubtedly will) would it not be better to pay ourselves instead of foreign oil cartels?

The 2009 Regular Session hit the halfway point early last week, and as expected, the General Assembly’s workload began to pick up considerably.

It was a highly productive time for legislation I have filed on behalf of the farming community and our schools. Along with a resolution that should be of particular interest to livestock farmers, several bills I sponsored were sent to the state Senate.

This letter is overdue although the help sure was right on time. Ed and Jane Simpson certainly were on time during the power outage that hit the county. In fact, Ed and his company, All Points Towing, have come to our rescue many times, even when our car broke down when we were living in Winchester.

I want to thank the Cynthiana Fire Department for rescuing my cat off of an apartment roof. She had been up there all night and day. I know I was going to have to get help, it was supposed to rain that night. I called the fire department, 15 minutes later I had my cat. She was important to me.

Since 1864, St. Edward’s has served the Harrison County community. In particular, we have and continue to provide an alternative educational resource for children. St. Edward School provides formation for the whole person: intellectual, moral, physical, spiritual and social.

We would like to share some news concerning St. Edward School. Last week Mrs. Mary Grable announced that she will be leaving her position as principal on July 1, 2009. As a result a principal search has begun.

I know most insurance companies are reliable and that sometimes a reasonable increase in insurance premiums is justified. I don’t like when it happens, but I understand that it can happen. Even the most reasonable person would agree, however, that three increases over a six year period, cumulatively totaling over a 100 percent hike in premiums, would be unjustified, harmful and unconscionable. That is what is being done to thousands of seniors and pre-retirees in Kentucky who bought long term care insurance years ago.

The short month of February in the words of President Bill Clinton “is held in the depth of winter. But, by the words we speak and the faces we show, we force the spring.” A spring of rebirth, renewal and revitalization. In this short month we watch the groundhog predict the weather, observe the history of our African American brothers and sisters, honor great men like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson, and celebrate the feast day of Saint Valentine.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, Jan. 27, freezing rain began to coat Kentucky and continued for nearly 24 hours. Trees, power lines and poles were layered with an inch or more of ice, contributing to power outages for Blue Grass Energy members that were twice the number experienced during the ice storm of 2003. At the height of outages, approximately 30,000 of Blue Grass Energy’s more than 54,000 members were without power.

The General Assembly may not have been in session last week because of a planned recess, but that didn’t mean legislators were away from the Capitol.

Many of the House and Senate committees took the opportunity to continue holding their regular weekly meetings, including the one I oversee as chairman: the House Agriculture and Small Business Committee.

Not long after legislators approved the state’s two-year budget last April, we began to realize that as much as we had scaled back, it still would not be enough because of the steep downturn in the nation’s economy.

Our state economists told us last fall that, despite several hundred million dollars already being cut, we would need to come up with $456 million more to balance the budget by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2009.

Last week you printed a letter concerning a lady not getting help when she needed it. This upset me, so I jumped in trying to locate this lady, which I did with the help of another person. I have talked with her, and we got everything straightened out. She was in the dark about where and whom she could turn to and the person who refused her help must have been in the dark also.

The Food Pantry has no financial guidelines for getting food and the only time one is refused food is when it is being abused and never if children are involved.

I would just like to write and say I think it is awful how fast people drive on US 62 E. and how heartless people can be. On Sunday, Feb. 8 my 12 month old puppy had got out and was near the road. Someone hit him and didn’t even care enough to stop.

He passed away. It was just like losing one of my children. He was our best friend. So I hope who ever did this to our family will please slow down. We miss our babe very much and this won’t bring him back but it may save another animals life. His name was Tank.

I just wanted to thank everyone that worked so hard during the ice storm, especially the Cynthiana Christian Church.

They made all those without power feel right at home and ran the shelter in a first class manner. Also, thanks to all those businesses that donated food, it was greatly appreciated and no one went without.

County Judge Alex Barnett came into the shelter on a daily basis to keep everyone abreast of the restoration progress being made. Too bad we can’t clone Alex.